The Syrian antiquities chief on Saturday said Islamic State group fighters have entered the museum in the ancient city of Palmyra.
Mamoun Abdulkarim has also confirmed that the militants have raised their flag over the ancient citadel that overlooks some of the spectacular Greco-Roman ruins in the city.
Speaking at a press conference in Damascus, Abdulkarim said some modern plaster statues in the museum had been destroyed.
"They entered the museum, opened its doors, and destroyed some modern sculptures that were being used to represent life in prehistoric eras for educational purposes. Then they closed the doors behind them and placed their guards at the museum's entrance."
Abdulkarim did not report any damage to antiquities in the building.
Both the citadel and the ruins are on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and before the war some 150,000 tourists a year visited Palmyra.
The Islamic State group has destroyed heritage sites in areas under its control in neighboring Iraq.
